Central Mutual vs. Western Reserve Group: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for auto insurance, Western Reserve Group offers significantly cheaper premiums than Central Mutual
• Central Mutual offers more discounts than Western Reserve Group
• Western Reserve Group offers more affordable rates for residents of rural areas

Central Mutual vs. Western Reserve Group: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering pretty big discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You've maybe even narrowed it down to Central Mutual or Western Reserve Group for your next policy, but which one will save you the most?

As you can see, Western Reserve Group has average rates that are about 60% per month less expensive than those from Central Mutual when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

That being said, that doesn't necessarily mean Western Reserve Group will be the more affordable option for each driver. After all, car insurance companies can offer drastically different rates to each driver depending on rating factors like your credit score, your age, where you call home, or even your driving record (among other things), so prices could vary drastically from person to person.

Luckily, we've broken down average rates from both Central Mutual and Western Reserve Group by a range of different rate factors, so read on to find out which carrier is the best for you.

Central Mutual or Western Reserve Group: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Central Mutual and Western Reserve Group only compete against each other in one states, with Central Mutual offering less expensive premiums to the average driver in all of them. Ohio has the most noticable difference, where Central Mutual rates are more affordable than auto insurance prices at Western Reserve Group.

But there's more to insurance than just your home state. As we mentioned above, there's a lot of things that go into how auto insurance carriers calculate your premiums. Continue reading to learn more about how other factors will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- generally pay a lot for car insurance compared to older drivers. Usually, that's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

But that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high insurance prices. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have Western Reserve Group for their auto insurance pay more than $300 less than those who use Central Mutual.

However, both companies will offer you dramatically lower premiums by the time drivers turn 25. For example, average rates for Central Mutual policyholders decrease over $250 and Western Reserve Group's premiums drop nearly $150 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll typically enjoy the most affordable car insurance prices you can find. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly rates for insurance.

But who has the best premiums for retired drivers between Central Mutual and Western Reserve Group? Western Reserve Group gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $168 cheaper than the national average for Central Mutual.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that car insurance prices are normally more expensive for single policyholders than they are for married couples? That's because policies for married policyholders typically cover several cars, which several carriers will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, Western Reserve Group is the clear winner for those who are single, with rates around $216 a month more affordable than Central Mutual, on average. The advantage for married drivers with Western Reserve Group is also obvious, where drivers save about $200 per month.

Central Mutual vs. Western Reserve Group: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into accidents and file an insurance claim. That means when it comes to auto insurance men will usually end up paying a little more.

Men normally pay almost $15 a month more than women with Central Mutual, but surprisingly, with Western Reserve Group, men generally pay around $2 per month less than women.

When it comes to the lowest premiums for each gender, Western Reserve Group comes out on top for both men and women, with average prices 61% less for men and 59% cheaper for women.

Central Mutual or Western Reserve Group: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

Car insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are many different coverages that account for several different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

Even so, most policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which covers the other party's injuries and property damage if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes two additional coverages -- comprehensive and collision -- in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum limits for liability insurance, Western Reserve Group normally offers significantly less expensive premiums of $94 compared to Central Mutual's $174. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Western Reserve Group again has the edge, with policies about $350 a month cheaper than Central Mutual, on average.

Is Central Mutual or Western Reserve Group Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

You'll probably end up paying more with tickets and collisions on your record, but which of these two companies offers the cheapest rates to drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Central Mutual policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $84 per month if they get a ticket, while Western Reserve Group typically raises rates around $34 a month, on average.

That being said, Western Reserve Group is usually the more affordable option for drivers both with a speeding ticket and with a clean record, offering prices that are $154 and $204 cheaper, respectively, compared to Central Mutual Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

After an accident, drivers who have their auto insurance through Central Mutual can expect to see about an $69 -- or around 22% -- increase in their insurance premiums. Drivers who use Western Reserve Group for their auto insurance will see a monthly bill about $32 (or 27%) more expensive after reporting an accident to their car insurance company.

Overall, Western Reserve Group offers the most affordable prices for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly rates averaging $120 compared to Central Mutual Insurance's $311.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single collision or ticket when it comes to your auto insurance bill. For example, Central Mutual increases average premiums by just under $250 per month -- that's just under a 50% increase.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable prices, Western Reserve Group tends to be the much less expensive option with average premiums of $218 per month compared to $482 from Central Mutual.

How does Credit Score Impact Central Mutual and Western Reserve Group Rates?

In many cases, your credit score can be used as one of the variables to determine your monthly insurance rates. This isn't always the case (Michigan, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it might come into play for many drivers.

The reasoning car insurance carriers use is that policyholders with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper prices, while those with poor credit will generally be forced to pay more.

Looking specifically at Western Reserve Group and Central Mutual, which carrier has the best premiums for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a solid credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with Western Reserve Group. Policyholders with "excellent" credit can save nearly 60% compared to Central Mutual, and those with "good" scores can also expect to see savings -- around $171 or 59% cheaper every month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Western Reserve Group typically offers lower rates than Central Mutual when it comes to drivers with bad credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $190 a month less with Western Reserve Group compared to Central Mutual, and those with "poor" scores usually save an average of around $297 a month.

Is Central Mutual or Western Reserve Group Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

Did you know that the amount of time you spend in your car have a substantial impact on your monthly prices? Typically, the more miles you drive, the more you can expect to pay for coverage.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Western Reserve Group charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Central Mutual, with policyholders who drive the least paying about $10 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles every year. Still, Western Reserve Group is the more affordable option for drivers in both categories.

Central Mutual vs. Western Reserve Group: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can play a sizable role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Normally, drivers who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural policyholders due to the number of vehicles that are on the roads in those areas.

Western Reserve Group tends to offer the cheapest prices for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Western Reserve Group offers premiums around $147 monthly compared to Central Mutual's $529. People who live in suburban ZIP codes can expect to pay about $139 per month for Western Reserve Group and $263 for Central Mutual. Lastly, those in rural areas tend to get the most affordable prices from both companies, with average monthly premiums coming in at $125 and $228 for Western Reserve Group and Central Mutual respectively.

Central Mutual vs. Western Reserve Group Discounts

You want to save as much money as possible, right? The best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many car insurance discounts as you can.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be difficult to find all the ones you can take advantage of or to nail down the company that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

Below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts Central Mutual and Western Reserve Group offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Looking at the total number of discounts, Central Mutual comes out ahead with 15 discounts to Western Reserve Group's 11.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, and discounts for being a good student. Central Mutual also offers ABS discounts, book transfer policy discounts, driver training discounts, and more that Western Reserve Group does not.

On the flip side, Western Reserve Group has a couple unique discounts of its own -- advance quote discounts, agency transfer discounts, company car discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Central Mutual or Western Reserve Group Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your insurance rates. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the right company for you and your specific profile and needs?

Western Reserve Group might be best for you if....

• You have below-average credit.
• Your neighborhood is in a city.
• You live in a rural neighborhood.

Central Mutual might be best for you if...

• You're looking for discounts -- Central Mutual has the most.

We hope this guide has ben a valuable resource as you compare Central Mutual and Western Reserve Group and that you can now make a more informed decision when it comes to your car insurance.

But, at the end of the day, there's only one way to know for sure that you're getting the best possible deal on auto insurance -- comparing quotes from several carriers, not just Central Mutual and Western Reserve Group. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple quotes from some of the best insurance companies in your area, all for free.

Central Mutual vs. Western Reserve Group FAQs

Is Central Mutual or Western Reserve Group cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Western Reserve Group is the less expensive of the two carriers, offering average rates of $137 a month compared to $340 for Central Mutual. Even so, Western Reserve Group won't necessarily be the cheapest carrier for each driver, since there are a bunch of different variables that are considered when it comes to your auto insurance payment.

Who is better, Central Mutual or Western Reserve Group?

Sadly, the real answer is "it depends.". One company is not "better" for every driver -- it all comes down to what your unique car insurance profile looks like.

Why do Central Mutual and Western Reserve Group offer me different rates?

Insurance companies take a look at a lot of different factors when calculating the prices they charge policyholders. Variables like your driving record, where your home is, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Central Mutual and Western Reserve Group calculate rates differently, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from lots of different carriers.

How do I know if Central Mutual or Western Reserve Group is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best price. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Central Mutual or Western Reserve Group at all!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.